YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!

BIOCHEMISTRY UNIT

Chapter 2,Sections 3 & 4 Pages 44-48, 51-53

Mr. Del Rossi 2010

What is an Organic Compound?

• Anything that contains the following two elements:

Carbon & Hydrogen

I. The Role of Carbon

A. Carbon can bond with numerous other elements

1. Carbon has 4 free e- in it’s outer energy

level2. It has the ability to form up to 4

covalent bonds

B. Types of Bonds (When 2 Carbon atoms bond)

1. Single – each carbon shares only 1 e-. 2. Double – each carbon shares 2 e-. 3. Triple – each carbon shares 3 e-.

II. Building Organic Molecules

A. Macromolecules

- Large molecules containing

hundreds of atoms.

- Can vary greatly in size.

Example: Proteins

B. Polymer- Large molecules formed when many smaller molecules bond together.- They generally form long chain-like molecules.

Example:Glucose + Fructose = Sucrose

1. Polymers are created as well

as broken apart by two processes!

a. Condensation Reactions

- Small molecules are bonded

together to make a larger one.

- Each molecule loses either a

–H or –OH group in order to

bond.

- As a result, for each bond 1

water molecule is formed.

A + B = C + H2O

b. Hydrolysis Reactions

- Refers to the breaking apart of a polymer.

- Occurs during the digestion

of food molecules!

C + H2O = A + B

III. MACROMOLECULES A. Carbohydrates

1. AKA – Sugars, starches,

fiber, grains, & roughage.

2. Jobs & Function: Are used by the cell to store &

release energy.

3. Elements Present:Carbon,

Hydrogen, and Oxygen

a. Ratio - 1C : 2H : 1O

4. Building Blocksa. Monosaccharides (Simple Sugars)

- 1 sugar moleculeExamples:Glucose and

Fructose

b. Disaccharides - 2 monosaccharides combined

Example: Sucrose (Table Sugar)

(Glucose and Fructose combined via a “ ? “

reaction.)

c. Polysaccharides – 3 or more monosaccharides combined

Examples: Starch (plant food storage),

Cellulose (in plant cell walls), and Glycogen (animal food storage).

B. Lipids1. AKA – Fats & Oils2. Jobs & Function:

1. Major part of cell membranes 2. Long-term energy storage 3. Insulation.

3. Organic compounds composed of the elements:

Carbon, Hydrogen, & Oxygen

a. No specific ratio of C : H : O.

4. Building Blocks

- Fats & Glycerol

5. Examples:a. Saturated Fats

- Solid at room temperature- All single bonds

between carbons! Examples are:Butter &

Lardb. Unsaturated Fats

- Liquid @ room temperature

- One or more double bonds between carbons!- Oils (vegetable, olive,

corn sesame, etc….)

6. Cholesterol

a. Soft waxy substance found in your bloodstream with lipids.

b. Used to form cell membranes, some hormones, and is needed for other cell functions.

c. Lipoproteins1. Transport cholesterol to & from cells.

a. LDL (Low-Density-Lipoprotein) “Bad Cholesterol” 1. Carries cholesterol in the blood. Too much can form

plaque in arteries.

b. HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) “Good Cholesterol”

1. Takes cholesterol out of blood and back to liver.

7. TransFats (Hydrogenated Oils)

a. Made by “hydrogenating” oils to

make them solid.

b. Hydrogenating means

“adding hydrogen.”

c. When consumed, increases

your LDL concentration.

C. Proteins

1. Large polymer composed of:

C, H, O, N, and S.

2. Essential for all life.

3. Building Blocks

a. Proteins are made of amino

acids (20 Types of A.A.’s)

1. Amino Acids are

linked together by

condensation reactions.

4. Jobs & Functions

a. Makes up fibers of Muscles

b. Make-up antibodies

c. Make-up Enzymes

(Enzymes allow reactions to occur)

d. Used as messengers (transport

oxygen in bloodstream)

5. Examples:

Antibodies, Enzymes, Hair, Muscles,

& “Some” Vitamins

Amino Acid Structure Parts: (Page 47 in textbook)

1. Amino Group

2. Carboxyl Group

3. Functional Group (R-Group)

Linking Amino Acids:

D. Nucleic Acids

1. Definition

- A complex macromolecule that

stores information in the form of a code.

2. Building Blocks

- Made up of smaller subunits called nucleotides.

3. Elements Present

- Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen,

Nitrogen, and Phosphorus.

4. Jobs & Functions

a. Contain Hereditary Information

b. Contain instructions on how to

make proteins.

5. Examples

a. DNA – The master copy of an organism’s information code.

b. RNA – Codes for a copy of DNA used in protein synthesis.